Alert after second Lyssavirus-carrying bat found in Brisbane within month

In an alert issued on Friday, a Metro North Public Health Unit spokesperson said Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) was fatal to humans and anyone who may have had contact with the animal should immediately contact their doctor.

“The bat was found in an area adjacent to the main car park at Anstead Bushland Reserve, late in the afternoon on Wednesday, 30th of December 2020,” the spokesperson said. “It was taken into care by appropriately trained and vaccinated carers.”

“The bat, which subsequently died, was sent for testing for ABLV and was found to be positive.”

The spokesperson added that bats, even those which appear dead, should not be handled by members of the public under any circumstances.

“We have been in contact with those people who…